Chapter 31: Protective Custody Pt. 2
Chapter Text
A/N: Hestia stumbles upon Harry and Tonks~
-x-X-x-
Once he makes his choice, Harry doesn't hesitate. He moves so swiftly that Tonks doesn't even have a chance to react as he pulls out of the shapeshifting witch, spins them both around, and then pushes her to her knees with her back to the island that dominates the center of the kitchen. At the same time, a quick flex of his magic sees the tea pot and cups that Tonks had never actually finished up with floating through the air from counter to counter as well.
As Harry slides his cock into Tonks' mouth, she finally catches up with what's going on, having been bent over the counter being fucked from behind one moment, and now on her knees with a dick passing her lips in the next.
"Wha-mmph!"
She looks up at him slightly chagrined even as she dutifully begins sucking but Harry just smiles down at her with a wink and a finger against his lips to mime being quiet. Then, the door to the kitchen finally opens and Hestia Jones steps inside. She jolts in surprise at Harry's presence, before flushing and quickly stepping inside, closing the kitchen door behind her before speaking in a low tone so that she doesn't disturb Kingsley's rest.
"O-Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't hear anyone in the kitchen when I was approaching…"
She needn't have worried, of course. The charms Harry put up are still in place, which is why she didn't hear anything in the first place. Gracing her with a broad smile, Harry nods his head amicably.
"No worries, Auror Jones. No worries at all. I was just making some tea. Care to join me?"
Down below, Tonks has gone completely still. The moment she heard Hestia's voice, the younger Auror froze up. Harry is sure that if he looked down at her right now, Tonks would have a look of panic and utter betrayal in her eyes. But she needn't worry. Harry knew exactly what he was doing here.
"Please, just call me Hestia. And… if it's not too much of a bother, I'd love to join you."
Hestia approaches the other side of the kitchen island, placing her hands down upon it and smiling at him before looking down at the teapot between them. And good thing he'd brought it over from the other counter as well, because if the teapot weren't in the way, Hestia would have a vantage point of Tonks' multicolored hair as the younger witch bobbed up and down on his cock.
Well, not that she's doing much bobbing right now. She's still frozen stiff, even as Harry hums.
"How do you take your tea? Milk? Sugar?"
"Both, please."
Down below, Harry can feel Tonks tensing up. Perhaps the metamorphmagus thinks that he'll have to pop his cock out of her mouth to turn and retrieve the milk and sugar. But why would he have to do that? She's already seen his capacity for wandless magic. With a slight grin on his lips, Harry waves a hand and the milk and sugar both float over from where Tonks already had them out.
Hestia's eyes widen at this casual display and the raven-haired Auror can't quite contain her astonishment as she gasps.
"That was… was that silent, wandless magic, Mister Potter?"
Letting his grin grow a little bit, Harry chuckles.
"Please, if I'm to call you Hestia, you have to call me Harry alright?"
At her wordless nod, he continues.
"And yes, it was. I've found I'm quite proficient in it."
Hestia huffs at that.
"Proficient is one thing… to be able to perform a summoning spell with that level of control at your age is nothing short of miraculous, Harry. You should be proud of your abilities."
She didn't know the half of it. Harry just hums and shakes his head, demurring a little as he shrugs his shoulders.
"Have to be, don't I? Especially with everyone who's after me."
Hestia furrows her brow, clearly wanting to try and placate him by saying nobody is after him. But the words stick in her throat because… well, just look around them. She's literally been assigned to a Protection Detail for him by the Director of the DMLE herself.
At the same time, Tonks finally begins moving down below. Her own arousal apparently gets the better of her, overcoming her fear and panic as she begins sucking his cock again. Or maybe she just decides that the best way to get back at him as well as force him to acknowledge her is by giving him the best blowjob of his life.
Either way, the moment Tonks begins bobbing up and down on his cock happens to be the same exact moment that Harry lifts the teapot up and pours Hestia a cup of tea. With the large teapot no longer obscuring the older Auror's field of view and Tonks suddenly moving back and forth in a way that can't help but draw the eye to the brightly colored hair atop her bobbing head… well, Hestia's eyes can't help but be drawn down to the sight.
This time, it's the older Auror who freezes up as she realizes what she's witnessing… an oblivious Tonks on her knees, giving a blowjob to their young charge.
Harry, of course, acts like he doesn't realize Hestia knows. His own eyes aren't on her face, but rather on pouring two cups of tea for them both. Never mind that he already HAD two cups before Hestia even showed up. He might not be able to watch her facial expressions, but ultimately Harry doesn't need to. He can practically sense the gears turning in the raven-haired witch's head as she stands there, processing the situation.
He's not too worried, however. Because Harry knows something about Hestia Jones that most do not. From their interactions in the future, he knows a secret about the beautiful Auror that she herself might not fully know just yet.
Hestia Jones… was a voyeur. The woman got off on spying on other people being intimate. She also got off on the possibility of being caught. She was a true, blue voyeur and when it came to catching people have sex, she was much more inclined to try and watch rather than expose them, so to speak. How did Harry know this? He'd caught her in the future, of course. She'd been a bit older by then, an Auror Captain instead of a mere Auror. But she hadn't changed. And even if in this timeline Hestia wasn't quite a voyeur yet… well, this might as well be her awakening, he figured.
Putting the teapot down and obscuring Hestia's view again, Harry finally looks up at her just in time for her to recover from her stupor now that the object of her desire has been removed from her field of vision.
"So, Hestia? How much milk and sugar?"
"A-Ah… um… one spoonful of sugar, two spoonfuls of milk, please."
"Of course."
Harry watches on in amusement as he prepares her cup of tea just like she likes it and then slides it over to her. Hestia can't help but squirm… but as she reaches for the tea cup, she uses that to her advantage, shifting just enough along the kitchen island so that the teapot is no longer directly between them. She makes it look as casual, realistic, and organic as she possibly can, but the end result is the same… she can once again see Tonks' head bobbing up and down on his cock.
Meanwhile, the younger Auror is going to town on his dick. She's keeping noise to a minimum of course, but she's really pulling out all the stops to try and get Harry's attention. It's like she doesn't even care if they wind up blowing their cover, so long as it's his fault. Her tongue elongates, her lips suction down, and she uses every trick she can think of to really drive him wild.
Unfortunately for her, Harry is in complete control of himself, just like always. Pouring himself a cup of tea as well and preparing it to his liking, Harry raises an eyebrow at Hestia as he takes a sip, pretending not to notice her increasing number of furtive glances down at his crotch and Tonks' head.
"So, Hestia. What has you up so late at night?"
Tearing her eyes off of the exhibitionistic display and trying not to give away just how turned on she is, Hestia takes a large gulp of tea to compose herself before answering.
"I'm… I suppose my mind is too active for such things. I understand that Madam Bones couldn't tell us everything about what's going on right now, but the rumor mill is in full force all the same and I can't help the way it has my thoughts all in a whirl."
Here, Hestia gives Harry a cheeky grin.
"Don't suppose you could tell me anything, eh Harry?"
It's obvious she doesn't expect him to know much. Or at the very least, she expects him to deny, deny, deny. What a silly assumption. Amelia didn't even bother telling him to keep his mouth shut.
"My godfather Sirius Black who escaped from Azkaban Prison last year was never given a trial. Turns out that several high-placed members of the Ministry were involved in that miscarriage of justice, most notably Minister Cornelius Fudge who tried to have Sirius given the Dementor's Kiss last year to hide his shame. Director Bones needs me kept safe because I know for a fact that Sirius isn't guilty of the things he was tossed in Azkaban and forgotten over. Mostly because I met Peter Pettigrew myself last year and heard him confess in his own words how he betrayed my parents and blew up that street of muggles to pin it all on Sirius."
The kitchen falls silent when Harry is done speaking, even as he takes a nonchalant sip of his tea. Even Tonks, who knows some of what Harry just said, has gone still again down on her knees at his feet. Hestia, meanwhile, is staring at him slack jawed and wide-eyed and seems to have completely forgotten about her voyeurism for the moment. Instead, she's growing increasingly pale as she takes in everything Harry just told her.
"I'm not… ah, I'm n-not sure you were supposed to tell me all of that, H-Harry."
Leaning forward and placing his elbows on the counter, Harry smiles at Hestia. It's not an entirely nice smile.
"That depends, Hestia. Can you be trusted to keep a secret?"
Hestia's eyes dart downwards, to the head of multicolored hair that she can no longer see since he leaned over Tonks. When she looks back up at him again, Harry lets his smile widen a fraction of an inch more in a way that causes her to jolt in realization. He knows that she knows. And now she knows that he knows that she knows.
"I… y-yes. O-Of course. I'm not… I swear I will not go around spreading what you've t-told me, Harry."
Harry hums at that, giving her a nod.
"I believe you, Hestia. Thank you for letting me unload on you. I suppose all of that was weighing rather heavily on my mind."
They both know that's not really the case. But Hestia doesn't call him out on it. She doesn't call him out on any of it. Instead, she quickly finishes her cup of tea, makes her excuses, and flees the kitchen back to her bedroom at all possible speed. Harry almost hopes she'll stick around and peep at the door a little bit, but with Kingsley sleeping on the couch in that same room, he's not surprised when Hestia doesn't risk it.
Meanwhile, the moment the kitchen door swings shut behind the older Auror, Tonks is pushing him away and getting up, giving him a mixture of a pout and a half-hearted glare.
"T-That was way too close, Harry! You can't just… ugh! What if she'd caught us?"
Smiling mysteriously, Harry shakes his head.
"Somehow, I think it all would have worked out okay."
Tonks scoffs at that, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Not… not every female Auror is as… as much of a slut as I am, Harry. You can't just expect them all to fall head over heels for you."
Harry's smile turns into a full blown grin and he raises an eyebrow.
"Like you did?"
Tonks sputters, even as Harry moves in and grabs her by the hips, pushing his rock hard cock against her front.
"We're not done here yet, Nymphadora."
She stiffens at the use of her first name, but also can't help squirming in anticipation.
"But perhaps we'd better move this to a bedroom before another Auror walks in on us looking for a late night snack."
Tonks bites her lower lip… before sheepishly nodding. It's clear she's ashamed of herself for even agreeing, but equally clear that she can't help but want more. After all, they'd been so rudely interrupted. And so the two of them retire to his bedroom, where Tonks finds herself on her back getting fucked again, trying to contain her moans.
Of course, Harry had ulterior motives for wanting to move to the bedroom. The hallway outside of the room didn't have a sleeping auror on a couch in it, and he's not at all surprised when he catches Hestia watching them within minutes of them going at it. Peeking in on them from the hall, the raven-haired Auror bites her lower lip and fingers herself as she lets her voyeuristic tendencies get the better of her.
Harry doesn't begrudge her that though. So long as she can keep his secrets, she can watch. And eventually, he'll have her join in on the fun. For now though, it's just him and Tonks all night long… and he makes sure to put the metamorphmagus through her paces so she doesn't even have the strength to complain when all is said and done.
-x-X-x-
It takes a week. A week of Harry fucking Tonks behind Kingsley's back with the black wizard being none the wiser. A week of Hestia watching him fuck Tonks with the shapeshifting witch also being none the wiser.
But finally, they get the word from Amelia… she's finally wrapping things up and Harry is to be delivered before the Wizengamot as a key witness at a certain time upon a certain day. As fun as the past week has been, Harry will be glad to be able to return to Hogwarts after this. After all, its his current hunting grounds. Besides, he's made significant enough progress with both Tonks and Hestia that he thinks he could make a deeper move with both of them soon enough. Tonks before Hestia of course… but perhaps Hestia would like to watch the ritual, voyeur that she is.
First though… it's time to end this once and for all.
Chapter 32: The Wizengamot
Chapter Text
A/N: Fudge crumples like a wet tissue but that doesn't mean they're in the clear.
-x-X-x-
He's half-expecting to be attacked on their way to the Wizengamot. Not that there are that many opportunities. They go via Floo straight from the safehouse to the Ministry of Magic's Atrium, but while one might assume that nobody would be foolish enough to attack them there, Harry isn't so ignorant. He's well aware that the Ministry's security is exceedingly lacking in many ways.
However, as on edge as he is while Kingsley, Hestia, and Tonks all escort him through the atrium and over to the Wizengamot's meeting chambers, no attack ever comes. Harry can't help but frown at that, wondering just what Amelia's opposition is planning. It was entirely possible that the DMLE Director was so on top of things that word of his location and security detail had never leaked.
On the other hand, if that were the case, then staking out his route to the Wizengamot and attacking then would have been the best opportunity anyone who wanted to silence him would have had. The fact that no one tried… well, it was interesting to say the least.
Then again, maybe Harry was overestimating their current enemies. After all, this technically wasn't a fight against the Dark Lord or his Death Eaters. Voldemort wasn't in a position to do anything right now anyways, and his Death Eaters, while making fools of themselves, were likely to have little interest in Fudge's fuck-ups and Sirius Black's innocence.
At the end of the day, their enemies were corrupt and incompetent government bureaucrats, not Pureblood Supremacist Dark Wizards. Though the two could sometimes be one in the same, in this case they actually weren't.
Harry snorts, imagining for a moment Dolores Umbridge in all pink walking up and trying to curse him for her precious 'Minister'. He wouldn't have put it past the toad of a woman, and frankly he would have relished the opportunity to exercise his right to self-defense against the bitch. But no. There was no sign of Umbridge or anyone else who might have been willing to do Fudge's bidding.
Instead, the trip to the Wizengamot passes without issue and after a short period of time waiting to be called upon, Harry finds himself entering the large chamber and being escorted to the middle of the room. He remembers being brought here before, of course. In the original timeline, the earliest moment that he'd been presented to the Wizengamot had been at the beginning of his Fifth Year, after he'd been forced to defend himself and Dudley from Dementors.
But that was just the first of many visits to this… august body. Some of those visits, he'd been called to task just like that first time. Some of them, he'd even been among the Wizengamot itself. That had been later on, when he'd tried far too late to take on his ancestral seats and use what political power they offered him to convince the Wizarding World of the threat they were facing.
… He failed them, having spurned all influence and politics up to that point, to not just his detriment, but the detriment of the entire world. Afterwards, his last time in front of the Wizengamot had been when he'd been called to account for his 'terrorist activities'. Needless to say, that meeting had not gone well. He hoped this one would go better.
"Now calling a key witness, Harry James Potter, Heir to House Potter, to the stand."
At the very least, he wasn't being restrained this time. Harry stands in the center of the chamber but he does so unfettered, gazing around at the multitude of wizards and witches surrounding him. Lords and Ladies every one, with most of them being ancient and decrepit in a way that almost makes Harry want to curl his lip in a sneer.
He fights back the urge though. Voldemort had done a decent job of killing his parents' generation off back during the Dark Lord's first rise. The members of the Wizengamot who were left were those who had either sided with Lord Voldemort or had not spoken out against him and stayed locked behind the safety and security of their wards, craven cowards that they were.
Of course, there's also Dumbledore. The Wizengamot's Chief Warlock is currently presiding over this whole affair from the look of things. He's the one who had introduced Harry to the chamber, and as Harry stands there waiting to be questioned, Dumbledore gives him a soft smile with a twinkle in his eye.
Recognizing the attempt at Legilimency for what it is, Harry considers whether to meet the old wizard's eyes or not for a moment, knowing he'll be able to block Dumbledore's intrusion either way. Instead, he ultimately decides to play the lost innocent little lamb for a little longer, avoiding Albus' gaze and searching out Amelia as an alternative.
The Director of the DMLE is up on her feet, prowling around the edge of the chamber's inner circle like some sort of predator. Rather than presiding over these proceedings like she did back in his original Fifth Year, she seems to be on the attack.
As their eyes meet, Amelia gives him a sharp smile and makes her way over to him. Though when she speaks, she does so loud enough to be heard by everyone.
"As the chamber has already been made aware, Cornelius Fudge resigned as Minister of Magic this morning. He did so after confirming under magical oath the part he played in the unlawful detainment and imprisonment of Sirius Black, Lord of House Black. This chamber has also viewed the Pensieve Testimony of Lord Black as well at this point, and knows him to be innocent of the crimes he was never actually tried for."
Oh? Harry resists the urge to raise an eyebrow, instead effecting a shocked look. He WAS surprised to hear Fudge had stepped down… but at the same time, it made sense. The man was a squirming lickspittle, through and through. That Fudge had ever even managed to become Minister of Magic in the first place was through a combination of Lucius Malfoy's funding and the hard work of more component officials under him. Officials like Amelia Bones herself.
Having those officials turn on him had likely eroded his foundations and confidence far too much to continue. Though Harry had to admit, it surprised him that Malfoy had allowed Fudge to just… give up. After all, if Sirius were to be declared an actual criminal, perhaps through a sham trial that was nevertheless deemed 'proper' and 'just' by the Ministry of Magic, then the Black Family Fortune would default to Draco Malfoy.
Did Lucius not realize that? Or had he merely decided to cut his losses? Either way, it explained the lack of an attack on the way to the Wizengamot. The other side had already given up. Harry can't help but be a little amused. His presence here wasn't even really necessary… no, rather, he was just here to be part of Amelia's victory lap.
No more is this evident then in the way Amelia questions him. They go over the facts of last year from his point of view, as well as Harry's numerous encounters with Dementors. That's where the first objection from the Wizengamot comes from though.
"Objection! We're expected to believe this boy can generate a corporeal Patronus strong enough to fight off a hundred Dementors?!"
Harry doesn't know who the Lord who pipes up is, but just from the ugly sneer on the man's face, he can guess that it's a former Death Eater. Both Dumbledore and Amelia look ready to intervene, the former with a grandfatherly smile on his wizened face and the latter with a thunderous scowl. But before they can, Harry just grins, playing into his youth a bit.
"I can show you all, if you like?"
Then, he lowers his eyes somewhat shyly.
"That is… if this esteemed body permits it, of course."
His manners get him a long way with the neutral members of the Wizengamot, who Harry notices outnumber the former Death Eaters even with all the purging Voldemort managed to do during his First Rise. There's some chuckling and tittering, before Neville's grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, pipes up.
"I for one wouldn't mind the show!"
She doesn't smile as she says it, but her words definitely seem to carry some weight. And so, with a nod from Amelia, Harry pulls forth his wand from its holster and lifts it into the air, intoning the words.
"Expecto Patronum!"
From the tip of his wand, a brilliant white stag erupts, appearing before them all and glowing so brightly that many have to look away as it prances around the inner circle. Harry isn't holding back right now… he's using quite a lot of the magic that he's gained from Bellatrix and Sinistra in order to bolster the patronus so that it is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the strongest any of them have ever seen.
Of course, he's also using more than one happy memory at the same time, a technique that not many people knew was even possible. It was rather advanced, and only truly discovered when things went absolutely to shit in his old timeline. Things got so bad at a certain point that just one good memory wasn't enough to produce a proper corporeal patronus anymore, so the technique to produce one using the culmination of all of one's good memories came about.
Which was good, because with the Dementors roaming around and off their leash, being able to create a fully formed Patronus became the difference between life and death.
Harry lets his stag prance around the chamber for a good fifteen seconds, a broad smile on his boyish features the entire time, before finally letting it dissipate. In the shocked silence that follows, Harry looks right at the Lord who first questioned him, still smiling cheerily.
"I hope that helps assuage any doubts?"
Slowly, the nameless Lord nods and sits back down. After which, Amelia is able to get back to his questioning. Harry answers honestly, sort of wondering what she's building up to if Sirius has already been exonerated… and then comes the question he probably should have been anticipating since the start of all of this.
"Now tell me, Harry… based on your experiences, did Professor Severus Snape know Lord Sirius Black was innocent and willfully lie to Cornelius Fudge in order to get the man Kissed anyways?"
Silence falls. The Wizengamot almost seems to collectively lean forward in anticipation of Harry's next answer. He can feel Dumbledore's eyes boring into the side of his head in particular, as if the Headmaster is trying to compel Harry to remember all the moments in which Albus tried to make Severus look better and more personable in his eyes. Funny really, because Dumbledore hadn't even gotten a chance to try and force them together for Occlumency Lessons just yet.
It would seem that Amelia had decided on just what fish she was trying to hook here. In a way, it made sense. Fudge might have seemed like the biggest grab, but he was nothing more than a patsy. Incompetent? Yes. Moronic? Also yes. But outright malicious? No. Snape on the other hand, was more than a convenient scapegoat. He was actually guilty of the crime that Amelia was trying to pin him with. And with Sirius Black exonerated and therefore a proper Wizarding Lord of an Ancient and Noble House in his own right, Snape's crime became a hundredfold worse, at least to the old and decrepit Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot.
Leaning forward, Harry answers clearly and concisely, without hesitation.
"Yes."
Pandemonium erupts. Immediately, there are calls for Severus Snape's head. Certainly, his arrest. Harry can't help but be a little bemused, but it makes sense. He's Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. There might have been rumors about him in his Second Year, but those mostly remained confined to Hogwarts. It wasn't until after the end of his Fourth Year that the Ministry of Magic started their smear campaign against him. Right now, Harry Potter was still their Golden Boy. Untarnished and pure.
Heh, if only they knew. Still… Snape isn't without his defenders, of course. Chief among them being the Chief Warlock himself. But Dumbledore is caught between a rock and a hard place. Harry can see that the old wizard wants to jump to Snape's defense. But at the same time, he can't destroy the veneer of impartiality he currently has.
Fortunately for Dumbledore, or perhaps unfortunately depending on how one looked at it, he doesn't need to speak up.
"I must cast doubt upon young Mister Potter's words."
Harry raises an eyebrow as Lucius Malfoy finally speaks up. He'd clocked the Malfoy Lord earlier, but with Fudge out on his ass, he hadn't been sure what Lucius would do. It would seem this was what Lord Malfoy had been waiting for… a chance to save his son's godfather.
"As many here should be aware, my heir is in the same year as young Mister Potter at Hogwarts. Draco has spoken in depth about the enmity between Hogwarts' Potion Professor and the Boy-Who-Lived. I am not convinced that Mister Potter can give an unbiased opinion on this subject."
Amelia scoffs at that, immediately firing back.
"You've all seen Lord Black's memories of last year and specifically of the night in question. Severus Snape knew that Sirius Black was innocent. And yet, he whispered lies into Fudge's ears all the same. Are we supposed to ignore the attempt on a Wizard Lord's life?"
Lucius rolls his eyes.
"My cousin Lord Black was unjustly locked up in Azkaban Prison for nearly a decade and a half. This, at least, is not in doubt. But I must confess, I worry about his mental state after such a long imprisonment… and by extension, the veracity of his memories. The injustice done against my cousin is already in the process of being righted. This… pursuit of an upstanding Professor of Hogwarts feels like the start of a witch hunt."
Oh wow, Lucius went there. Judging by the murmurings of the other members of the Wizengamot and the narrowed eyes of Amelia, he might have scored some points against her as well. Harry found himself at a crossroads. Did he try and help? Or did he let Amelia handle it? Maybe he should signal to Amelia, as his other persona, to let it rest?
Snape was honestly small fry, and technically not on Voldemort's side. As much of a piece of scum as the Potions Professor was, Harry didn't really care what happened to him so long as he stayed in his lane. Frankly, he doubted Sirius cared either.
At this point, it felt more like Amelia was trying to nail the actual culprit to the wall in pursuit of justice more than political points. And that was brave and righteous of her, truly it was… but if it hurt her chances of becoming the next Minister of Magic, was it really worth it? Harry considers his options in silence for a long moment… and then makes his choice.
Chapter 33: Amelia Bones
Chapter Text
A/N: Harry leaves things in Amelia's hands~
-x-X-x-
Harry makes his choice, which in the end is to do nothing at all. While he fully intends to one day either control or do away with this government body and its bureaucratic nonsense, the fact is that he's not quite there yet and he knows it. Harry could have spoken up here, but he'd more than likely make a fool of himself, probably not through any fault of his own but purely because of his youthful appearance and perceived lack of experience.
Likewise, he also discards the idea of telling Amelia to back off. If the DMLE Director wants to try and go toe to toe with Lucius Malfoy over Severus Snape, Harry isn't going to stop her. After all, if he wants to make her the next Minister of Magic, she needs to be able to show she can stand up to thugs like Lucius who had Fudge in their back pocket.
And so Harry stands back and lets the professional do her thing, curious to see what Amelia will do next with no interference on his part.
Smiling slightly, Madam Bones tilts her head to the side.
"Upstanding Professor. Is that right, Lord Malfoy?"
Oh? Harry wonders if perhaps Amelia is going a similar route to what he'd considered doing, all of her own volition.
Lucius narrows his eyes and thins out his lips.
"Yes, I'd certainly say so given the lack of complaints."
When Amelia's smile widens, Lucius stiffens up. But before either of them can speak…
"Now see here, Lucius! Don't go telling lies before these Lords and Ladies when I'M in attendance!"
Both Amelia and Lucius turn in the direction of the speaker, Lucius' head whipping around and Amelia much more casual as Augusta Longbottom, Matriarch of the Longbottom Family, makes herself heard.
"I sit on the Board of Governors at Hogwarts just the same as you, Lucius. I've sat it longer than you, in fact, just as I've sat in this Wizengamot longer than you!"
The older witch is certainly taking advantage of her advanced age here, Harry can't help but note. But she's on a roll and no one seems to be willing or able to stop her. Not even Lucius Malfoy himself.
"Augusta-!"
"Don't you Augusta me, Lucius! You and I both know that Professor Severus Snape has garnered more official complaints from students, parents, AND professors year over year than ANY other Professor in Hogwarts' last several decades!"
Lucius grimaces and Harry can't help but be delighted as a rush of whispers and murmurs washes over the Wizengamot. Everyone who also sits on the Board of Governors is suddenly looking uncomfortable, while everyone who is not is looking undeniably curious. But even then, Augusta isn't done.
"You and Dumbledore might present a united front whenever these complaints come up to have them dismissed, but if the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has something to say about all of this, I for one would like to hear her out!"
Harry's eyes dart to the Hogwarts Headmaster and Wizengamot's Chief Warlock. The old wizard is looking significantly discomfited by all of this. And also uncharacteristically quiet, Harry realizes. Perhaps Albus had been trying to float under the radar, so to speak? Only, now his name has left Augusta's lips. The cat is out of the bag.
Clapping his hands together, the aged wizard gives everyone a grandfatherly smile.
"I do believe we've gotten beyond the bounds of today's trial, lords and ladies. I'm not entirely sure that-!"
"I must insist, Chief Warlock. In fact, I agree with Lady Longbottom. The information I've uncovered, while not directly relevant to Lord Black's unlawful incarceration, is incredibly relevant to the Wizengamot at large. They deserve to know what sort of man Severus Snape is, and the damage he's done to Wizarding Society."
Amelia's no-nonsense tone leaves the entire Wizengamot in a bit of a quiet uproar. The murmuring has never been louder, but nobody is shouting. Dumbledore, meanwhile, has lost the grandfatherly look altogether and looks as though he's carved from incredibly craggily stone as he stares down at Amelia. However, the DMLE Director doesn't back down, staring right back at him challengingly.
"… Very well, Madam Bones. Continue."
Nodding, Amelia whips out her wand and begins summoning strands of light that turn into words and, much to Harry's amusement, graphs. Then, she begins to walk the Wizengamot through something Harry already knows… the sheer damage that Severus Snape has done to the Wizarding World over this past generation that he's been the Potions Master at Hogwarts.
Harry can't help but be impressed. He would have likely gone in a similar direction if he'd actually chosen to insert himself into the conversation… however, as Amelia speaks in an impassioned tone that brooks no argument, he realizes he would have made a fool of himself and come across as rather childish.
See, Harry would have been more inclined to bring up Slytherin's win streak in points to showcase Severus Snape's blatant favoritism. The fact that it took until Harry himself arrived for something to change only showed just how unfair of a man Snape was. Especially since Dumbledore himself had to be equally unfair by giving Harry and his friends boatloads of points at the end of the year just to erase Snape's constant point manipulation.
… But Hogwarts was decades behind most of these Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot. In some cases, it was even a century behind them. Hearing about how Snape would take points from other Houses more than his own wouldn't have swayed them. It would have just made Harry look like a petulant child.
On the other hand…
"And so, as the esteemed members of the Wizengamot can see, the numbers of wizards and witches who are successfully earning their NEWTs in Potions has dropped dramatically in the last decade and a half, from fifty percent to twenty-five percent. More than that, when you take out the Slytherins from this number, it drops further… to ten percent."
There's a hush over the Wizengamot now as they process this revelation. Truthfully, earning a Potions NEWT wasn't easy. It wasn't supposed to be. A fifty percent pass rate was pretty damn good before Snape got his hands on the Potions Class. But only ten percent of all non-Slytherin wizards and witches getting their NEWT in Potions? That didn't speak of a tough but fair learning environment. That spoke of a rot at the core of their society's educational institution.
"And for any who might still not understand the significance of these numbers, do keep in mind that we require at least an E on a Potions NEWT for all wizards and witches aspiring to be healers. To become an auror, one needs at least five Es or better on their NEWTs. Suffice to say, the numbers of new applicants for both positions has been dropping year over year ever since Severus Snape became the Potions Professor at Hogwarts."
And there it was. Hit them where it really hit. Sure, most of the people in the Wizengamot might not have been Hogwarts Students in decades, but they still had children and grandchildren. And the majority of them were not actually Slytherins. Even if they were, it didn't mean their children and grandchildren were necessarily Slytherins.
There are looks exchanged across the entire Wizengamot, and even Lucius Malfoy doesn't seem to have anything to say anymore. Nor does Dumbledore. In the end…
"I call for a formal inquiry into Professor Severus Snape! Let him be brought before this body to answer for not just his lies to former Minister Fudge, but also for his conduct as a Hogwarts Professor for all these many years!"
Augusta Longbottom's call to action causes quite a stir. It's only a moment before someone seconds the inquiry, and then someone else thirds it. Before long, the entire Wizengamot is all but clamoring for Severus Snape's head. Ultimately, not even Dumbledore can stop it now.
The Chief Warlock looks weary as he brings his hands together again, quieting everyone down.
"… Very well. The call for formal inquiry has been heard, seconded, and thirded. Let us vote on the issue."
Harry isn't surprised when over eighty percent of the Wizengamot votes for the formal inquiry to go through. And he can't help but gleefully enjoy the soured look on Lucius Malfoy's face. He also rather likes the triumphant expression on Amelia's face as well. She looks pleased as can be, and that in turn makes her look all the more beautiful.
Finally, Dumbledore bows his head.
"The vote for formal inquiry passes. Professor Severus Snape will be called to answer to the Wizengamot two weeks from now. Gather your questions esteemed Lords and Ladies. We shall see what comes then."
As tired as Dumbledore is, he doesn't even stop Amelia from having her team of aurors usher Harry out through a side door. Harry, meanwhile, appreciates being able to dodge the crowd of reporters that are no doubt waiting right outside the Wizengamot's main entrance.
In the end, the next few hours are quite the whirl, but he ultimately finds himself dropped back at Hogwarts rather unceremoniously. He'd hoped to get the chance to request Tonks be assigned to him on a more long term basis, but alas… he'd have to wait for later.
There's a lot of people he has to deal with once he's back at Hogwarts, but thankfully Dumbledore isn't one of them. The Headmaster is probably too busy putting out the proverbial fires and trying to prepare Snape for his questioning at this point. Ultimately, Harry is able to get a bite to eat from the House Elves and then make excuses for why he wants to turn in early.
Then, he makes it seem like he's in his bed and sneaks out again, heading away from Hogwarts once more and back over to the Ministry of Magic where he slips into Amelia's office to lie in wait.
At this point, sneaking around the Ministry and more specifically the DMLE is starting to feel like old hat. It's just too bad that Amelia is such a busy woman, because Harry finds he has to wait for a while before she finally shows up. Still, that glow of triumph and victory that she'd had back in the Wizengamot remains, even as she sits down at her desk looking ready to get right back to work.
Revealing himself in his shadowy form, Harry chuckles darkly.
"Do you ever take some time to yourself, Director? You had quite the win today. You could stand to relax a little bit."
She jolts at his sudden voice, looking to his shadowed presence as she presses her lips together rather tightly.
"… You know about what happened in the Wizengamot then?"
Deciding to throw her a bone, Harry tilts his head to the side.
"I was there, Director. You put on a spectacular performance. Tell me, did you and Augusta plan that ahead of time, or was it pure serendipity that she paved the way for you so readily?"
He can see in the brilliant witch's eyes that she finds that first bit of information very interesting. She probably hasn't given up on figuring out who he is, and now he's just narrowed the list down considerably. The Wizengamot had over a hundred wizards and witches among its number, but that was still a much shorter list then say… every wizard and witch in the world.
Besides, she probably had herself convinced that he was a wizard at this point based on his tone and mannerisms, so that narrowed the list down even further.
"… Lady Longbottom and I aren't that close. She's a bit older than I am, in case you hadn't noticed. No, we didn't plan that ahead of time. I always intended to push as hard as I could to be allowed to present the evidence of Snape's malfeasance, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it or not. Augusta… she paved the way quite nicely, just like you said."
Harry hums, coming closer to the desk. Interestingly, Amelia stiffens up as he approaches. But not in fear or trepidation. No, he detects a hint of anticipation from her. Like she was expecting something. He's not sure what, but he knows what she deserves.
"Good work, Director. You did amazing today."
Red crawls up Amelia's neck under her collar. She swallows thickly even as she tries to maintain decorum.
"T-Thank you. I… I could not have done it without your help."
Words of affirmation seem to be the Director's love language. Circling the desk, Harry shakes his head.
"I pointed you in the right direction, that's all. Everything else was you. Well done."
She's tenser than ever as he gets physically closer to her. It's almost like she wants something from the way she keeps stealing glances down at his hand. But surely not, right? And yet… Harry hums and then just decides to go for it. He lifts his hand up slowly so as to not spook her. Amelia's eyes follow but she makes no move to stop him or move away, even as he brings his hand down upon her head.
It feels weird to pat the older witch's head however, so he quickly turns the gesture into a caress, running his fingers through Amelia's locks in wonder as the strong, independent woman just… lets him. In fact, she shivers a little bit in a way he can tell indicates delight, even as his hand falls from her hair to her shoulder.
Giving her shoulder a good squeeze, Harry considers the situation for a long moment. The Director of the DMLE was acting surprisingly submissive right now. At the very least, she was showing a startling lack of initiative or aggression over his actions. Sure, part of her might feel like she owed him, but he didn't think Amelia Bones would let something like that keep her from stopping him if she hated what he was doing.
… Was it possible that he'd somewhat misjudged the beautiful witch? Was it possible that Amelia had hidden depths he wasn't aware of.
Neither of them has said a single thing since his last words of affirmation. And yet, as he holds her shoulder and Amelia sits there frozen in her chair, Harry doesn't actually know what to say. Nor does he know what to do.
Perhaps it would be better to back off here. But could he really afford to back off? He'd come back in time to exploit the advantage that extra years gave him to the fullest extent. And that included exploiting people along the way. It was for their own good, really. He was trying to save everyone, so he couldn't really hold back. Not now, not ever…